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Question:
213-5201We have a 6ft. by 8 ft. plastic greenhouse. Should it be vented? Jim, Warwick, RI

Mort's Answer:
Fungus, boytritis and other organisms can build up in any unventilated area. Opening the door periodically will help on sunny days to release the heat build up and the ventilation. To be safe, you should install a small fan for interior air movement and to release heat build up. Your benches should be heavy screen to allow air around your trays. You will need to shade the poly house with a hydrated lime solution to protect delicate plants from scolding. You will be surprised how high the heat will get in that small area.

Question:
873-5212I have the frame for a 30ft x 32 ft. greenhouse. It will be 14 feet tall. I would like to plant in the ground. It was an old chicken coop and the soil is very rich. Should I wait until spring to plant? Tom, Lake Village, IN

Mort's Answer:
You should build a trench to separate the inside soil from the outside. You will need cement for the posts anyway. The trench should be a foot wide and two feet deep or better. It can be filled with sand or gravel. Insulation can be applied to the side of the trench. You can plant cool weather crops of lettuce, kale, cabbage and the like. You might start the seedlings on a small bench for now. Bib lettuce in a tray will give you continual leaves for picking. You may decide to eventually go to strictly benches in the future. It will heat up to 80 and 90 ion the winter without fans. If you can build a wood frame for the door, the fan will be best over the door.

Question:
1042-4513We have a glassed in room 15' x18' with a flat rubberized roof. I am thinking of adding a small electric heater and making a greenhouse. I am thinking of keeping it above 60. Any suggestions? Pete, East Lyme, CT

Mort's Answer:
You will have a lot of choices. Succulents love 40 at night and hot during the day especially about this time of year. Cactus and a lot of tropicals will do well in this large variance of temps in the fall and winter. You can put plastic over the carpet to make it easier to handle spills of soil and water. I would also recommend putting a hard plastic cover about six inches above the rubberized roof to collect extra heat. It can be piped into the room with a little fan and a duct on the inside wall. Excess heat can be drawn into the rest of the house by opening the door during the day. Later you might consider a glass dormer to allow more light after you become a more sophisticated grower of plant material.

Question:
1148-3014What can I plant in my greenhouse now? We ripped off the plastic after a hail storm. There is mulch on the floor. I have beans on trellises. How many years can I leave beans in one spot. Bill, Tulsa, OK

Mort's Answer:
Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, melons cucumbers and other hot weather veggies will grow now. If you can shade the greenhouse in August, you can start the leafy vegetables for fall growing. Rotating vegetable plants is a great idea. Leafy veggies should follow beans because beans put nitrogen into soil. You could wait a few years, if you have had poor soil. If the beans show brown edges that should be the last year in that spot. I think that you should consider patio blocks in sand for your flooring.